Improvement in steering-propellers



F, J. ASHB'URNL STEERING-PROPELLER.

PaQtented May 30,. law

. VIITNESSE ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FLAVIUS ASHBURN, or WEST UNION, WEST VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEM ENT IN STEERlNG-PROPELLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. [78,042, dated May 30,1876; application filed May 9', 1876.-

To all whom it may concern.- 1

, Be it known that I, FLAVIUS JosEPIIUs AsHBURN, of West Union, in thecounty of Doddridge and State of West Virginia, have invented a new andImproved Propeller, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists of propeller-blades arranged horizontally on andhinged to vertical crankshafts suspended from a horizontally-revolvingframe or wheel'above the water, and connected by their cranks to thecrank of a shaft in the center of the carryingwheel or frame, and aroundwhich they swing, causing all the paddles to face in the same direction,and being so that in the forward motion they turn upon the hinge andwork edgewise, and

in the back motion they work broadside against the water to propel theboat. My invention also consists of the stationary crank around .WhlGlllthe bucket swings, made to be turned in either way, and provided withmeans; for

turning it, which may work either by the em gine or by the pilot-wheel,whereby the direction in which the paddles act is changed at Will toreverse the motion of the boat, and to utilize the propeller forsteering it. One propeller may be used alone or two together. In thelatter case they will be geared to turn in opposite directions, so thata certain oblique direction by which each alone acts on the vessel willbe counteracted one by the other, thus applying the force directly inthe line of the boat. They are, by preference, arranged under the sternof the boat, but may be located at the side, if preferred.

The propeller is specially adapted for shallow water, but may be workedin deep water as well as any.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the stern of a boat with myimproved propeller. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section. Fig. 3 is atransverse section, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation, of a couple ofpropellers arranged together.

A is the stern, in which is mounted an upright shaft, B, having twocranks, G and D,

- arranged at right angles to each other, said shaft being stationary,except as it is shifted for changing the direction of the action of thepropeller on the boat to utilizeit for steering. E represents a coupleof disks or other suitable carrying wheels or frames mounted on shaft B,so as to revolve freely, and being geared to the driving-shaft F bywheels or in any approved way. In these carrying-frames" M, with crank Gof shaft B, so that the spiderframe holds the bucketsfso that all facethe same way, while they are carried around in an orbit by thecarrying-frame E to propel the V boat. The paddles N are fixedhorizontally across the paddle-shafts below the frame and hinged to themso that they swing vertically to go sidewise against the water to propelthe boat, and edgewise when goingback.

The frames E are turned to work the paddles by the driving-shaft F andthe wheels G, and the shaft B is adjusted to change the direction inwhich the paddles act against the vessel, also to reverse the motion bythe shaft P and wheels Q, said shaft being turned in one direction bythe friction-wheel R on the drivingshaft F, and in the-other directionby the wheel S, which wheels act on the friction-wheel T on shaft B,which is shifted from one to the other of said wheels R S by thecrank-pin U and lever V, the crankpin U being operated by the lever W,which is to be worked by the pilotwheel, or by means under the controlof the engineer. The spring-pressed lever Y has a brake, A, to hold thefriction-Wheel T when not engaged with either of the wheels, and the huboflever W has a cam, X, which discngages the brake when the lever isshifted either way.

Fig. 4 shows the arrangement ofdriving-gear and the steeringeontrivances when two propellers are to be used side by side also, abrake for holding the shafts B at rest. In this case the driving-shaft Fgears at each end with one of the paddle-driving frames E, turning themin opposite directions, so that the oblique action of one propeller isbalanced by the other, and the connecting-rod of the engine is'attachedto crank Z.. The adjusting-shafts B- are connected to and disconnectedfrom the carrying-frames E by clutches a, which are shifted by lever b,which is shifted by the le-' ver'd, which will, in practice, be so thatitcan be Worked by the steam-engine when required,

and lever b carries a brake, e,,w.hich acts on the'friction-wheel f tohold shaft B from turning when the boat is to go straight ahead. ShaftsB are coupled together by rod 9 and cranks h, so that they both shiftalike, and rod y will be operated by the pilot-wheel for ordinarysteering purposes. The clutches a and the shifting-levers b (1 will beemployed for shifting the paddles by the steam-engine when i it may berequired to do so.

When lever b is level the clutches are both disconnected, but when oneof the clutches is shifted'down it connects with the wheel which turnsthe paddle-carrier and causes the shaft Patent, is

g 1. The combination of two or more cranked vertical paddle-shafts,having one or more paddles hinged transversely'to them, with a revolvingcarrying-frame, E, and a center cranked shaft, B, the center shaft andthe paddle-shaft cranks being coupled together, as described.

2; The center cranked shaft B, to which the paddle-shafts I are coupled,as described, arranged to turn either way to change the direction inwhiehthe paddles act, and having suitable means for so adjusting it,substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the horizontallytraveling paddle-shafts I andthe shaft B, for changing the direction of the paddles, of suitablemeans for operating shaft B by the'power ofv the driving-engine,substantially as specified.

4. The combination of a brake with the adjusting-shaft B, or a shaftconnected with it, and with the reversing-gear thereof when the latteris arranged to detach the brake when it connectsthe vadj usting-gear,and allows the brake to act when it connects said gear, substanti-allyas specified.

FLAVI US J OSEPHUS ASHBUBN.

Witnesses:

W. H. CHENNUT, O. '0. DAVIS.

